Watercraft adapted to be supported by hydrovanes when in motion



April 24, 1951 E. BUSSEI 2,550,220

WATERCRAFT' ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY HYDROVANES WHEN IN MOTION Filed Sept. 11, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet l FIGJ I n var/far Ehare 5w: e/

April 24, 1951 2,550,220 4 E. BUSSEI WATERCRAFT ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY HYDROVANES WHEN IN MOTION Filed Sept. 11, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 24, 1951 Buss 2,550,220

WATERCRAFT A D TO BE SUPPORTED BY DAPTE HYDROVANES WHEN IN MOTION Filed Sept. 11, 1946 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 In ve/wa i/ Eva/ =7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fl 63b I l'nvniorf ff )"6 5/15) 7 v0 WA E. BUSSEI WATERCRAFT ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY HYDROVANES WHEN IN MOTION A ril 24, 1951 Filed Sept. 11, 1946 2 Y B D E u m W T m April 24, 1951 E. BUSSEl WATERCRAFT ADAPTED TO BE HYDROVANES WHEN IN 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 11 1946 oisss April 24, 1951 E. BUSSEI 2,550,220

WATERCRAFT ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY HYDROVANES WHEN IN MOTION Filed Sept. 11, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet a FlG.3d

In vex 7 7pr E770)? Mjjd/ April 24, 1951 E. BUSSEI 2,550,220

WATERCRAFT ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY HYDROVANES WHEN IN MOTION Filed Sept. 11, 1946 "r Shets-Sheet 7 FIG! In en/w #ffarnay Patented Apr. 24, 1951 WATERCRAFT ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY HYBROVANES WHEN IN MOTION Ettore Bussei, Genoa, Italy Application September 11, 1946, Serial No. 696,164 In Italy March 24, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires March 24, 1962 7 Claims. (Cl. 11466.5)

-The difficulties experienced in building medium sized water craft adapted .to run at high speed inrough sea are known. These difficulties are due to the fact that, as the Weight of the hull is balanced by the hydrostatic pressure of the Water, during its movement the hull oscillates vertically with a frequency that is a function of the characteristics of the waves, of the direction of course with regards to that of the waves and .of the speed of the craft.

These vertical oscillations, to which the rolling and pitching oscillations and the joltin of the craft-running at high speeds should be added, greatly strain the hull structures and are absolutely unsupportable and detrimental to the occupants.

In order to overcome thes difficulties, and to attain a high economy of propelling power, many schemes have been developed in order to support the water craft on hydrovanes when in motion. However by almost all known devices of this kind the hydrovanes are always arranged so as to partially project out of the water, this condition being necessary for conferring on the craft a sufiicient amount of natural stability. In fact, only when the hydrovanes are partially immersed to any variation of Water level corresponds a variation of the efiicient useful area of the vanes which modifies the sustentation force so as to keep the craft at the predetermined height above the water level and any heeling of the craft is counteracted by a redressing couple generated by a greater immersion of the hydrovanes on the heeling side, and by the emersion of the hydrovanes on the opposite side.

This arrangement of partially immersedhy- .drovanes presents however the drawback that the vcraft is always influenced by the waves and consequently the strain of its structures and the discomfort of the occupants are always very great.

In order to'a'ttain the result of reducing said discomfort to a minimum and render the craft quite comfortable to the occupants, without sacrificing therefor the requirements of high speed and low propelling power, it is necessary that the forces generated by a rough sea be also very small and that the oscillations promoted by the waves be efficiently damped. 1 However, if the hydrovanes are completely immersed in the water, the craft loses its natural stability, as both the variation of height and trim "do not promote any variation of the useful surfaces of the vanes, viz. they do not cause a variation either of the intensity of their thrust or of theposition of their pressure centre.

In order to eliminate such drawbacks, it has been proposed to provide angularly shiftable hydrovanes adapted to be controlled either by hand orautomatically in function of the variations of the position of the craft. However, both if the shifting of the vanes is effected byhand -orautomatically in function of theheeling and of the Variations of height above the water surface, the unavoidable delays occurring in steering the hydrovanes promote an increase, rather than a reduction of the oscillations, until the craft is capsized. r

The main object of the invention is to provide a hydrodynamicallysupported craft adapted to run at high speed with its hydrovanes always completely immersed and steered by automatic control means which act on said vanes not only as a consequence of the variations of position of the craft, but also in consequence of the velocity and possibly of the acceleration with which the craft tends to alter its position and this both as regards its height above water level and its trim with regards to the vertical. Thus it is possible to obtain a hydrodynamically supported boat adapted to navigate at high speed in which the angular oscillations promoted by a rough sea are of very small amplitude and positively damped and the variations of height take place always with very small accelerations.

According to the invention, these and other advantages are attairied by building a water craft provided with projections or legs carrying angularly shiftable hydrovanes whose centres of pressure comes to be much more under the centreof gravity of the craft, V In order to counteract any tendency to heeling, the hydrovanes are controlled by means detecting any heeling together with the heeling speed and are shifted angularly-by the same angle in reverse directions, so as to increase the carrying capacity of the vane arranged on the heeling side and reduce the same on the opposite side, thus genwhich are shifted by the same angle in the same directions.

Consequently, according to the invention, the devices for controlling the hydrovanes and the horizontal rudder comprise a number of space givers or space detectors (which detect and indicate the inclination and the height) and a number of specially fitted gyrostatic groups, some of which are influenced directly by the angular movements of the hull and other are controlled by the measurer of the height, said gyrostatio groups being capable of furnishing the measure of the heeling speed and of the speed of the variations of height and, if desired, also the corresponding accelerations.

As said, according to the invention it is absolutely necessary that the said control devices act at any moment with concomitating action on the hydrovanes, by causing same to rotate so as to counteract the forces tending to destroy the in which is P the weight of the whole device Z the distance between the centre of pressure and the centre of gravity 1:. the angle of rolling J the momentum of inertia of the craft with regards to the longitudinal swinging axis, and

r and Z are either constant or variable values, whereby 1 is greater than Pl and Z is sumcient to ensure a suitable damping of the oscillations and to overcome the unavoidable retarding of the hydrovanes-controlling servomotors.

Longitudinal equilibrium:

in which 1 is the angle of longitudinal heeling, while the remaining reference letters possess the same meaning as given above.

Equilibrium by the navigation above the water level:

in which is h the height above the water level M themass of the complete device, resp. the mass multiplied by a suitable constant. The other reference letters have the same meaning as above.

In order to measure a and 7 a gyrostatic vertical-giving apparatus or a, pendulum could be employed.

For measuring h a float or a hydrostatic plate ora like device could be employed.

The measuring of can be effected by gyrostats regulated in suitable directions, connected together and provided with devices capable of furnishing the values of the reaction couples induced into the said devices by the said speeds.

The invention will be better understood by the following specification, in which some embodiments of the invention are described only by way of example.

Figures 1 and 2 show a side and front elevation of an embodiment of boat according to the invention during the navigation;

Figs. 3, 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d are illustrations of portions of the control devices; and

Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of boat according to the invention during the navigation.

In the embodiment shown by way of example in Figures 1 and 2, I is the boat hull rigidly connected to the keel-like projection or leg 2. The propelling engines, the fuel tanks and the automatic control members of the horizontal hydrovanes and of the rudders as well as the cargo are arranged within the hull, in which accommodation are also taken for the drivers.

The keel-like projection 2 carries two hydrovanes 3 (one of which only may be seen on the drawing) adapted to be swung about the axis 5 by like angles in the same direction by the member controlling the height h and of like angles but in opposite directions, by the transverse equilibrium-controlling member.

The rudder 8 serves for steering the boat. The elevator rudder 6 pivoted at l serves for controlling the longitudinal equilibrium.

The boat is propelled by means of screw propellers S. As shown, both the hull and the keellike projection are streamlined so as to reduce the resistance to forward movement.

In Figures 1 and 2 the boat is shown when running at high speed on its hydrovanes, with the hull completely lifted out of the water. When the boat is stopped or its speed sinks under a certain minimum, it floats like an usual boat.

The diagram of the devices automatically controlling the equilibrium of the boat as well as its height above water level is shown in Figure 3.

A device 9 for giving the vertical is mounted on a Cardan suspension, the axes of which are directed in longitudinal and transversal direction of the boat, the stem of which comes to be in the direction of arrow P. The said device 9 is connected by means of difierential gears l0 and H with the gyrostatic groups 14 and 12 which give the heeling speed in transversal and longitudinal directions.

Each of the said gyrostatic groups, which is constituted of a pair of tores rapidly revolving in opposite directions, gives the measure of the velocity corresponding to the orientation of the liberty planes by means of the deflection of the tores which takes place in opposition to the force of springs l3 and [5, respectively.

The sum of the angle two amounts, one of which is proportional to the transversal heeling and the other is proportional to the corresponding speed, is transmitted through the diflerential gear Iii to the servomotor H, which, by means of two difierential gears l8 displaces at the same time the hydrovanes 3 and 4 in opposite directions about the same axis 29.

The sum of the two amounts, one of which is proportional to the angle of longitudinal heeling and the other is proportional to its speed, is transmitted through differential gear I i to servo-motor l6 controlling the elevator rudder 6 adapted to beangularly rotated about axis 7.

In a vertical pit freely communicating with the water on which the craft navigates, a fioat I9 is immersed mounted insucha manner as to transmit the height above the water level to gear 20 which in its turn controls the gyrostatic group 22 which gives the velocity of the variations of height on the water level, byacting on springs 23. Lhe connection between gear 2 3 and gyrostatic group 22 can be either rigidor resilient. In this latter instance springs 24 are provided connected to arm 2|. The resilient coupling is employed when the device for keeping the boat at a predetermined height above the water level should be given such characteristics as to permit of modifying the conditions of inertia of the mass of the boat hull.

The sumof measurements that are proportional to the height above water level and to the corresponding velocity (i. e. to the velocity of height variations) is transmitted by the gyrostatic group 22 by means of two differential gears 25 and 26 to the servo-motor 28 which in its turn, by means of said two differential gears l8 and i8 transmits this sum to hydrovanes 3 and 4, which are steered in the same direction.

, Handwheel 21 acting on diiferential gear 25 serves for determining the height above water level to which the boat should run.

Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of the boat according to the invention which, instead of a single leg 2, two keel-like projections or legs 2, and 2' are provided. The fore leg 2 carries the screw propellers S and the hydrovanes 3 adapted to be swung about the axis 5, while the aft leg 2 carries the elevator rudder e and the steering rudder 8. The bridge-like connection or both legs 2 and 2 with one another, and with the hull l lies completely out of water when the boat running at high speed is supported by its hydrovanes. In this manner the resistance to the forward motion of the boat is reduced.

Of course,-the invention may beembodied in many other ways, without departing from the principle as announced and claimed. Particularly there should be noted that the diagram of the automatic control means is given only by way of example and that the various devices, and especially the transmission means as shown, are reported only by way of illlustration and that no limitations of equivalent means should be ex eluded without the limits of the invention as defined above. and claimed herein. The same may be said for the propelling means, which could be constituted by air screw propellers and by reaction propellers.

I claim: I j

1. A water craft comprising a hull, a plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable hydrodynamic supporting vanes independently mounted on both sides of said projections, horizontal rudders angularly shiftable in unison and a steering rudder, said rudders being also carried by said projections, propelling means, a device sensible to the variations of height of the craft above water level, vertical reference means provided within the hull, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of transverse rolling a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular veiocity of longitudinal pitching, a differential gear, means connecting the vertical reference means with said differential gear, and means connecting the gyrostatic group that measures the velocity of pitching to said diifercntial gear, a

servomotor controlled by said differential gear with respect to the sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connections including differential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; driving con nections connecting said device that is sensible to the variations of height above water level with the last named differential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders so as to counteract the pitching.

2. A water craft comprising a hull,'a plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable hydrodynamic supporting vanes independently mounted on both sides of said projections, horizontal rudders angularly shiftable in unison and a steering rudder, said rudders being also' carried by said projections, propelling means, a device sensible to the variations of. height of the craft above Water level, vertical reference means provided within the hull, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of transverse rolling, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of longitudinal (pitching), a differential gear, means connecting the vertical reference means with said differential gear, and means connecting the gyrostatic group that measures the velocity of pitching to said differential gear, a servomotor controlled by said differential gear with respect to tlie'sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connections including differential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; driving connections connecting said device that is sensible to the variations of height above Water level with the last named difierential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting I same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders so as to counteract the pitching, whereby the said device that is sensible to the variations of height above the water level comprises a, float mounted in a well freely communicating with the Water, atransmission operated by said float, and transforming the vertical shifting thereof into an angular shifting, a differential gear adapted to be influenced from the exterior by a hand controlled device determining the height of navigation of the boat above water level, a gyrostatic group influenced by said transmission connected to said float and mounted in such a manner as to measure the velocity of variations of height, a second differential gear in which the quantities depending on the variations of height are combined with those that are proportional to the velocity of variations of height and a servomotor con trolled by said differential gear and acting on the differential gears determining the shifting of the hydrovanes.

3. A water craft comprising a hull, a'plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable hydrodynamic supporting vanes independently mounted on both sides of said projections, horizontal rudders angularly shiftable in unison and a steering rudder, said rudders being also carried by said projections, propelling means, a device sensible to the variations of height of the craft above water level, vertical reference means provided within the hull, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of transverse rolling, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of longitudinal pitching, a differential gear, means connecting the vertical reference means with said differential gear, and means connecting the gyrostatic group that measures the velocity of pitching to said differential gear, a servomotor controlled by said differential gear with respect to the sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connection including differential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; driving connections connecting said device that is sensible to the Variations of height above water level with the last named differential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders sO as to counteract the pitching, whereby the said device that is sensible to the variations of height above water level comprises a height detector freely communicating with the water in which the craft floats and reacting to the variations of height by linear shifting, a transmission controlled by said height detector and transforming the linear shifting of this latter into an angular shifting, a differential gear adapted to be influenced from the exterior by a hand-controlled device determining the navigation height above water level of the craft; a gyrostatic group influenced by said transmis- 'sion of the height detector and resiliently mounted for measuring both the Velocity of said variations of height and their accelerations, a second differential gear in which the amounts depending on the variations of height are added to the amounts depending on the variations of height and the corresponding accelerations, and a servomotor controlled by said differential gear and acting on the differential gears determining the shifting of the hydrovanes.

4. A water craft comprising a hull, a plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manneras to measure the angular velocity of longitudinal pitching, a differential gear, means connecting the vertical reference means with said differential gear, and means connecting the gyrostatic group that measures the velocity of pitching to said differential gear, a servomotor controlled by said differential gear with respect to the sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connections including differential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; dliVlIlg connections connecting said device that is sensible to the variations of height above water level with the last named differential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders so as to counteract the pitching, whereby the said means controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal angular shiftings, comprise a differential gear, means connecting the vertical reference means to said differential gear and means connecting to said differential gear the gyrostatic group measuring the velocity of the longitudinal angular shifting, proportionally to the sum of the amounts being transmitted by the vertical reference means and by said gyrostatic group, and a transmission adapted to angularly shift said horizontal rudder.

5. A water craft comprising a hull, a plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable hydrodynamic supporting vanes independently mounted on both sides of said projections, horizontal rudders angularly shiftable in unison and a steering rudder, said rudders being also carried by said projections, propelling means, a device sensible to the variations of height of the craft above water level, vertical reference means provided within the hull, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of transverse rolling, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of longitudinal pitching, a differential gear, means connectin the vertical reference means with said differential gear, and means connecting the gyrostatic group that measures the velocity of pitching to said differential gear, a servomotor controlled by said differential gear With respect to the sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connections including differential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; driving connections connecting said device that is sensible to the variations of height above water level with the last named differential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders so as to counteract the pitching, whereby vertical reference means comprises a pendulum suspended by a Cardan supporting device having its axes directed according to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the craft.

6. A water craft comprising a hull, a plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable hydrodynamic supporting vanes independerence means with said diiferential gear, and

means connecting the gyrostatio group that measures the velocity of pitching to said differential gear, a servomotor controlled by said differential gear with respect to the sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connections including differential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; driving connections connecting said device that is sensible to the variations of height above water level with the last named differential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic roup that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders so as to counteract the pitching, whereby gyro-- static groups measuring the velocities of the variations of the position of the craft with regards to the predetermined position comprise pairs of gyrostats, each pair comp-rising two tores revolving in opposite directions, mounted on pivots perpendicular 'to their spinning axes and connected with one another by means of gear sectors or the like, so that in rest position the axes of the two rotors are parallel and when they are inclined they are compelled to execute angular movements of like amplitude, but in opposite directions, the said movements being counteracted by a spring, so that, on the whole, the deviation of the said axes produced by a generic velocity impressed on the group is substantially proportional to the component that is at right angles to the direction of the said axes when in rest, as Well as to the direction of their pivot pins.

7. A water craft comprisin a hull, a plurality of projections under said hull, angularly shiftable hydrodynamic supporting vanes independently mounted on both sides of said projections, horizontal rudders angularly shiftable in unison and a steering rudder, said rudders being also carried by said projections, propelling means, a device sensible to the variations of height of the craft above water level, vertical reference means provided within the hull, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of transverse rolling, a gyrostatic group constructed and arranged in such a manner as to measure the angular velocity of longitudinal pitching, a differential gear, means connectin the vertical reference means with said differential gear, and means connecting the gyrostatic group that measures the velocity of pitching to said differential gear, a servomotor controlled by said differential gear with respect to the sum of the amounts transmitted from the vertical reference means and from the last mentioned gyrostatic group, a pair of driving connections including diiferential gears adapted to promote equal shifting of said hydrovanes in opposite directions; driving connections connecting said device that is sensible to the variations of height above waterlevel with the last named differential gears and acting through these latter so as to correct the final angular shifting of said hydrovanes by shifting same in the same direction proportionally to the variations of height above Water level and means including a servomotor controlled by the vertical reference means and by the gyrostatic group that is sensible to the longitudinal pitching for controlling the horizontal rudders so as to counteract the pitching, whereby spinning axes of all the pivot pins of all gyrostatic groups are mounted in bearings adapted to revolve at right angles to the pivot pins as well as to the direction of the axes when in rest, the movement of the respective gyrostatic group about the axis of revolution of the bearing being counteracted by a spring, so that the deviations of the gyrostats relative to the bearings produced by a generic spinning velocity impressed upon the group are substantially proportional solely to the component which is at right angles to the direction of the axes when in rest as well as to that of their pivot pins, and the defiexion of the group is substantially proportional to the acceleration of the said generic component.

ETTORE BUSSEI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,780,998 Curioni Nov. 11, 1930 1,800,408 Schein Apr. 14, 1931 1,894,272 Hort Jan. 17, 1933 2,099,380 Wallace Nov. 16, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 835 Great Britain Mar. 19, 1903 896,004 France Apr. 17, 1944 

